Saint Paul outside the walls: the second biggest basilica in Rome

SAINT PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS: THE SECOND BIGGEST BASILICA IN ROME

If you land at Fiumicino Rome airport one of the first monument you can see from your van is the basilica of saint Paul outside the walls located on the Ostiense ancient consular road.
"San Paolo Fuori le Mura" is a patriarchal basilica ( that is to say it's part of the vatican territory in Rome ) dedicated to St Paul the Apostle, at the site of his tomb. The " outside the walls" part refers to the church being about 3 miles outside the walls of Rome. It's a monumental structure with high walls and lots of columns and which occupies several tens of acres. The church we see today is a rebuilt replica of what was built in the 4th century AD and destroyed by fire in 1823.

After his execution by behading ( since saint Paul was a roman citizen he avoided the crucifiction ), he was buried in a cemetery at this site by the road to Ostia, The Via Ostiensis. A shrine, or cella memoriae, was soon erected and many early Christians came to venerate the apostle.

Constantine built the first church at this site and it was consecrated on November 18th 324 AD. it was a small church built over te grave of saint Paul. between 384 and 386 AD, emperors Valentinian II, Theodosius and Arcadius demolished the church and built a larger basilica. According to the inscription on the triumphal arch inside, it was consecrated in 390 by pope Siricius and completed in 395 under emperor Honorius.

By 883 the entire basilica complex was surrounded by a large wall to protect it from the various invaders that swept through the city in the Midle Ages. The romans called this the Johannipolis ( the city of John ) after Pope John VIII sponsored the construction. A fire in 1115 and an earthquake in 1349 forced additional structural changes and reinforcements to the basilica.

Various other disasters, natural and mane-made tormented thiss great old basilica over the years, including a Tiber river flood in the Holy year of 1700 and other restorations, culminating in the already mentioned terrible fire in the early morning hours of 1823, which utterly destroyed the old building. The pope at the time was never told of the disaster due to his frail health. The new pope Leo XII was elected in November 1823 and decided to restore the basilica to its former glory rather than replace it with a new church in a more modern style. Work started in 1826, after a collection had been taken.
The basilica door was commissioned by Hildebrand, abbot of saint Paul, in 1070 and this abbot became pope with the name of Gregory VII. This door is worth seeing when you decide to visit this imponent basilica during your tours in Rome because originally it was located in the central gate and now, after its restoration it is the right side gate also known as Jubilee door.

The mosaic of the apse was executed by venetian artisans during the pontificate of Honorius III and Gregory IX.

Honorius, who asked the Doge Pietro Ziani to send him mosaicists, had himself reprsented at the feet of the blessing Christ. The Savior is shown amid sts Paul, Peter, Luke and Andrew. In the lower band, a jeweled cross surmounts an altar and is surrounded by two angels, the apostles, the Holy Innocents and the kneeling figures of the abbot Giovanni Caetani and the sacristan Adinolfo ( 1216 ). Few original elements remain in this mosaic, which has been heavily restored: among them should be noted the head of saint Peter, noe enclosed in the basilica sacristy.
The easter candelabra, executed by Niccolo' d' Angelo and Vassalletto in late 12th century is adorned with acanthus leaves and fantastic animals at the base, while the rest of the candelabra depicts scenes from the Passion, the Resurrection and the Ascension.

In this picture you can see the inscription in latin language engraved on the tomb of saint Paul who died during Nero's persecutions in 68 AD.